Burning Bodies
by A211
Summary: An incident leaves Aaron devastated, and at the same time a mysterious man joins the group. Not only does Daryl have to take care of the new threat Alexandria is facing, but he has to face his own demons as well.
1. Chapter 1

It had been two weeks since Daryl last talked to Rick. After Morgan came into their group he had been the centre of attention, simply because everyone loved him. Carol was even starting to warm up to him, and he knew how hard it was for her to warm up to new male figures.

Morgan was an able bodied man, and much more sociable than Daryl. These days Morgan was all the council Rick needed, but to some extent Daryl was glad to hand over the job. It had been hard handling Rick as of late, and it looked like Morgan was doing a pretty good job at restraining him. The whole two weeks he had been in Alexandria, Rick had stayed peaceful, and no other troubles had occurred.

In many ways, this new guest of theirs took a lot of pressure off of Daryl. He had been laying low, working on his now finished bike at Aaron and Eric's, and staying out of the way. He never fit in to that place anyways.

The feeling of freedom he had every time he and Aaron went for their runs was what he was living for, and later that day they were going out again.

Aaron was already waiting for him when he came over that evening, looking just as eager to get out of there as Daryl was. He looked tired and his face was slightly flustered. Daryl knew something was bothering the man, but he wasn't going to ask him about it. It had to be about his relationship with Eric, and their private stuff was none of his business. He would rather walk in silence.

That was when Eric entered the porch, fully dressed for a run. "It's alright that I come along with you, right _Daryl_?" Eric made it clear he didn't want Aaron's opinion, and Daryl knew it would be a long day. He nodded, then walked over to his bike.

After driving the bike for at least half an hour, Aaron signaled from the car for him to stop. He parked the bike on the side of the road and walked over to the car.

"There's smoke coming from inside the forest" Aaron pointed towards a gray cloud emerging from between some trees a few miles away. "There might be someone there," he said, "or maybe a whole group even."

Both Aaron and Eric seemed excited, but Daryl had a bad feeling. Maybe he just needed to get used to the recruiting thing. Learn to trust people more. Daryl stood quiet for a minute, then nodded his head once, "Let's check it out". He walked back to his motorcycle and they drove a little closer before parking and walking into the forest.

He moved swiftly over the forest ground, slipping between the trees without making a sound. He could barely hear Aaron walking behind him, and to some extent it comforted him, but Eric on the other hand was making way too much noise. Every footstep he made put their mission at risk, and Daryl longed for the times it was only him and Aaron.

A few moments later Daryl signaled with two fingers for the other men to come over to him. Then he looked over at what had to be the source of the smoke.

"What on Earth is that?" Eric exclaimed in a whisper, making Daryl frown, sharing a disgruntled look with Aaron. What they were looking at was a gigantic pile of what seemed like burning bodies. The most frightening part was that they were way too clean-looking to be walkers. Those were actual people burning.

His next step was to assess the situation, and that was when he noticed a bush moving a few feet away. Then a sound came from another bush, and he could feel someone watching him from above in the trees.

"We have to move" Daryl said without explanation, taking the lead back the way they came.

"Wait," Aaron flinched, "can you hear that?" And right he was, Daryl could hear it, ever how slight. It was a weak groaning sound, and it came from the fire. Maybe someone was still alive in there, and if that was the case, Daryl knew Aaron would do something stupid.

Daryl moved close to Aaron and grabbed his shoulder, then he looked up discreetly showing Aaron what he saw in the trees. The blue eyed man didn't show his reaction, just silently moved with Daryl back towards the road. Eric on the other hand, was walking oblivious towards the fire.

"Eric!" Aaron shouted, seconds before a man jumped down from a tree next to Eric. Daryl pulled out his crossbow and shot the man in the head, leaving him dead on the ground. But before Eric got a chance to move, another man, then another, jumped out from the bushes. Aaron and Daryl ran over to join the fight.

Despite managing to kill the two men, all the ruckus had summoned walkers: a lot of walkers. Daryl stabbed a few in the head, then turned to shoot one who was attacking Eric, before walking to the back of the fire. The smell of burning flesh was almost overwhelming, but he managed to push a few out of the way in search of whoever was making the groaning sound.

Then he saw him. It was a man, his face was burnt, but he was moving. When Daryl dragged the last burning body off of him, the man managed to crawl out of the pile. He wasn't burning, but he had been before, because both his face and his left arm was severely damaged.

"Can you walk?" Daryl shouted, then turned around to stab a walker in the brain. The man staggered to his feet, but Daryl saw he would be having to support him.

At the same moment, Aaron came running over, and he started fighting off the walkers that were trying to get to Daryl as he dragged the slow man with him. The three of them were almost back at the car when Aaron noticed Eric had fallen behind. He was too busy protecting Daryl, and hadn't noticed what happened to his lover.

Aaron ran as fast as he could back into the forest, and Daryl hurriedly put the man in the car and locked the door. Then he ran after Aaron faster than ever before. He wouldn't let his …friend…die out on a run with him.

When he catched up with Aaron he was standing a few feet away from Eric, who was killing the last walker. Next thing Daryl knew, a man jumped down from a tree with a gun pointed at Eric, then at Aaron, then back to Eric. Daryl pulled the crossbow from his back and in the same second he let the arrow fly, he heard a loud bang, followed by two loud thumps and a scream. It went by so fast Daryl almost didn't catch what had happened. The only thing he knew was that as he was standing there, two bodies laid dead on the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Aaron was screaming, "No, no, no!" And fell to the ground next to Eric's body. He was holding onto Eric's hand so tightly it looked as though it might break, and Daryl didn't know what to do. He wasn't good with those kinds of things, but after a few moments of hesitation he walked over to Aaron and put his hand on the man's shoulder.

"We have to leave," he said, "them walkers will be back"

Aaron let go of the hand reluctantly, and dried tears away from his face with his sleeve. Then he stood up and put on a hard face. "We need to bring his body back home." He said, and looked Daryl deep in the eyes. Daryl felt a twitch in his chest, and took a deep breath before nodding and walking over to the body. When Daryl had managed to stand up with all the dead weight that was Eric, Aaron was already halfway back to the car. With firm steps he started walking slowly, trying to ignore the heaviness of what he was carrying.

It took him a while, but Daryl managed to get Eric into the back seat where the burnt man was sitting. "What the heck, man?" The guy shouted as a dead body landed next to him, "Can't you just leave him? He'll just slow us down."

Daryl didn't answer, just silently wandered back towards the motorcycle. He hadn't gotten halfway before he heard one of the car doors slam open.

"What did you just say?!" Aaron shouted. Daryl stood there flabbergasted, and in the split second it took him to collect his thoughts, Aaron had already gotten a hold of the burnt man, and thrown him to the ground with incredible force. "What did you say?!" He repeated, as he kicked and hit the man uncontrollably.

Daryl couldn't believe what had just happened, but ran as fast as he could over and grabbed a hold of Aaron from behind. He turned him around, dragging him off the unconscious man on the ground and over to the car, pushing him up against the door.

"He wanted us to leave Eric to the walkers!" Aaron shouted, trying to struggle his way out of Daryl's firm grip. "Daryl!" he said, "Let. Me. Go!"

Daryl was stronger than Aaron, but what Aaron lacked in muscle, he now had in adrenaline and anger. "Not till you stop that strugglin'!" Daryl said on the verge of frustration, making Aaron's body tense up.

They both slid to the ground; Aaron putting his head in his hands, and Daryl reaching around the man's shoulders. It wasn't exactly a hug, but the best Daryl could to do. Something inside him knew it was appropriate, despite the slight nauseous feeling he got when the other man's body came into contact with his.

Aaron's body was convulsing. He was sobbing loudly, not caring how many walkers were listening. He didn't stop until minutes later, and Daryl stayed with him without even thinking twice about it.

A solid minute after Aaron had calmed down Daryl came to. Pulling away from Aaron, he suddenly stopped and met Aaron's desperate gaze. His eyes were so full of anger and frustration, yet he still appeared sincere; pure in a way, Daryl thought.

In the seconds their eyes were locked Daryl wanted to get back to embracing the man, but instead he got up, and collected the burn victim from the ground. He laid the man in the back of the car next to Eric, and hesitantly got into the drivers seat. The three of them drove silently, heading for Alexandria, despite Daryl's reluctance of leaving his motorcycle behind. He couldn't let Aaron drive in his condition, especially with that man in the back.

Daryl's mind was buzzing. How would Aaron react to all of this? Was it his fault? If he had just let the burning man die, then Eric might still be alive. Daryl didn't know what to do if Aaron shut down now. He didn't make friends easily, and something about Aaron made him an easy person for Daryl to be around.

Those worries grew the second they set foot inside the walls of Alexandria. Aaron rushed out of the car, the burnt man disappear with someone Daryl didn't notice, and Glenn looked at Eric's body with shock in his eyes.

"Is he dead?" Glenn exclaimed, and Daryl nodded ever so slightly, "what happened?"

Daryl stared into thin air, "Ambush," he said, "we took down three of 'em, but one last was hidin'. Eric didn't stand a chance," he paused, "…he was weak."

Glenn looked at Daryl as if he was trying to decipher him, to figure out what was going on in his mind, but he soon snapped out of it and went to get help with the body.

Daryl stood quietly for a moment, before taking the car with him to the garage. He knew Aaron would be inside the house, but didn't know if he should go in or not. One part of him wanted to talk to the man, but another part told him it was best to keep his distance.

Before he could make a decision Aaron was standing in the doorway, arms folded over his chest as if to keep his heart from falling out. He stood completely still, simply staring Daryl in the eyes from across the room, and it made Daryl uncomfortable.

"We were arguing, you know," Aaron finally said, "about me spending too much of my time with you."

Daryl looked down, trying not to meet the other man's gaze. "Sorry," he mumbled hoarsely, feeling a slight ache in his chest.

"I think he was right," Aaron frowned, "I don't think we should go on runs together anymore." Aaron's face didn't show any kind of malice. He looked like he genuinely felt this was the best thing for both of them, but Daryl knew better.

The dull ache in his chest spread now, he felt panicked. It wasn't that he needed the job that bad, he could go out on his own and would probably be better off even, but over the past few weeks he had started to enjoy Aaron's company more than he would like to admit, and his words stung.

Despite having all those thoughts in his head, he looked up at Aaron and said a simple "fine", before leaving the garage. He felt Aaron's firm eyes on him as he walked out the door in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

Walter was his name, or so he said. His face looked sinister, as he had been bandaged over the entire left side of his head. The eye on the same side was damaged beyond the point of recognition, making him less than pleasing to behold. Daryl had saved him, and in doing so he had also ruined his friendship with Aaron.

The man told stories. Stories that made even the toughest people in the group cringe. The third day after his arrival in Alexandria, Rick interrogated him, and as he spoke, more and more people gathered around to listen to his near-unbelievable stories. Daryl saw Aaron standing there listening, but held his distance himself.

"-which was later where we were lit on fire. I had a child lying next to me, and I saw her flesh burn right of her body." Daryl could hear Walter conclude his insane story, and saw that most of the people surrounding him didn't believe a single word coming out of his mouth.

When he was done talking, Rick signaled for the crowd to leave them alone, but Aaron got to stay. They were talking in low whispers, making it hard for Daryl to hear what they were saying...not that he was trying. He was simply cleaning his arrows from the day before a little bit close to the infirmary.

They were talking so silently now, Daryl decided it was best to go clean his arrows under the open infirmary window instead of glancing through the door from a distance.

"I'm sorry for-" Daryl heard Walter say, but he couldn't make out the ending. Likely something about what he had said about Eric's death a few days before. Now that he knew the nature of Aaron and Eric's relationship, he probably felt bad, and felt the need to apologize.

It went quiet for a few moments before Aaron gathered his thoughts, "Yeah," he said. Daryl could hear the discomfort in his voice, "It's not _your_ fault." The weight he put on the word "_your_" made Daryl flinch.

Somebody stepped closer to the window, and Daryl waited to hear who it was. "You should talk to him" he heard Rick say, making Daryl tense up. "It's not his fault either."

Daryl stood up, ready to leave. He didn't need to hear what Aaron had to say about him, when he already knew it was all his fault. He should have let the other man be, and taken Eric and Aaron to safety. He should have; but didn't.

The rest of the day, Daryl spent out hunting. He needed some space from all the jolly people in town to clear his mind. He had been having a hard time concentrating properly lately, and Aaron was a big part of the problem. Daryl couldn't fathom why it bothered him so much that the other man didn't want anything to do with him, but it did.

Walking back home with a few birds hanging over his shoulder, he heard someone shouting his name. He didn't have a chance to pretend that he didn't hear it, before Rick came up behind him. They were walking slowly up onto the front porch, before Daryl sat down and began plucking the feathers off one of the birds.

"Aaron just needs some time to sort things out," Rick said after a few minutes of silence. Daryl wasn't in the talking mood, and after a moment Rick must have realized he wasn't going to get an answer. "I know it's been hard for you to fit in here," he paused, "It sure wasn't easy for me… but don't pull away now."

Daryl stopped plucking and stared at Rick. "I'm not," he said hoarsely, not sure what Rick wanted him to say. That he didn't blame himself? Because that would be a lie.

"You should go talk to Aaron," Rick finally said, then disappeared into the house, leaving Daryl with even more on his mind than before. He got up, contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to talk to the other man that soon after what had happened. He sighed and got moving.

He shuffled slowly over to Aaron's house and raised his hand to knock, when he was cut short by Aaron opening the door. He was clearly about to leave, but changed his mind when he saw who was standing there.

"Daryl," Aaron exclaimed, trying to shut the door in Daryl's face, but Daryl forced his way through the opening. The door closed shut behind him, leaving him standing uncomfortably close to Aaron's face.

"You have to leave," Aaron said, moving a step away from Daryl, "I can't…have you here."

Daryl made his way across the room, leaving Aaron standing by the door. He put his crossbow slowly down next to the sofa, and met Aaron's gaze. "Rick wanted me to talk to you." He didn't know what else to say. He wasn't even completely sure why he went over there in the first place, it sure wasn't because of what Rick had said.

"I don't care what Rick said," Aaron close to shouted, "I just want you to leave." He made his way over to Daryl, standing close to him once again. Daryl's body tensed up, as he could feel Aaron's breath in his face, and his leg press against his own. Their bodies were touching, and Aaron was looking him so deep in the eyes it was almost like he was staring at his soul.

A strange sensation spread throughout Daryl's body, leaving him unable to move, and Aaron didn't back away. Something was wrong; He wanted to leave, but he didn't. Wanted to push Aaron away, or…something else. He started doubting himself in a way he hadn't in a long time.

Aaron was no longer shouting, and didn't even look mad anymore, while Daryl was trying his best to stop his mind from wandering too far. His body reacted to Aaron in a way he didn't intend. He breathed heavily, and without thinking further he grabbed a hold of Aaron's head, staring into the man's eyes for a brief second, before he kissed him. It was sloppy, and different, but he wanted Aaron, and he wasn't going to think about what that meant until later.

He was pulling at Aaron's shirt, opening the buttons, touching his body underneath. Aaron was making moaning sounds that sent shivers down Daryl's spine, and he was reaching for Aaron's belt buckle when Aaron suddenly stopped.

"Don't," Aaron said, placing a hand on Daryl's chest. "I can't do this," Aaron exclaimed. He wanted Daryl just as badly as Daryl wanted him, but it was too soon. It was too soon, and too unexpected, and even though it felt good, it didn't feel right.

Aaron pulled his shirt back over his chest, "Not yet," he said, and Daryl backed up a few steps, trying not to let the situation get to him. This had been a mistake. He had let his _feelings_ take over, and he never did that. That sort of thing was what got you killed in the new world. His walls had been heavily guarded all his life, and he wasn't going to let that go for a _man_ he hardly knew.

"Forget it," Daryl said, picking his crossbow off the floor, "This was a mistake anyways."


	4. Chapter 4

Daryl had been out all night, and the following day. He was trying to collect his thoughts, to come up with a good explanation for what had happened, but he came up empty.

As the sun was setting he stood in the middle of the forest far away from Alexandria, and all its residents. He dragged an arrow out of a walker's head, and as it fell to the ground he kicked it, again and again, until it was battered beyond recognition. He screamed, and more walkers approached him from all around. He couldn't take it anymore, he was angry. Not at the walkers specifically, but at Aaron, and Eric, and the stupid man with the ugly burn on his face, but most of all at himself.

The worst thing was that he couldn't stop thinking about that kiss, about Aaron… He didn't want that for himself, but still it stuck in his mind. It played over and over until he had killed all the walkers around him in rage. It looked like a massacre around him, and it didn't make him feel any better.

It was time to go back "_home_" before people started worrying where he was, but that was when he heard something in the distance. It was steps on the ground, feet making footprints on the damp forest floor. It wasn't a walker, Daryl knew the difference, this was a much more controlled stride. Each step was deliberately placed, making Daryl fear the worst and hide behind a few bushes; just in time.

"Did you hear something?" a tall, muscular man said, appearing into Daryl's view.

"Nah," a woman said, "You is probably only imagining things" she said, in the most complicated accent Daryl had ever heard. She had to be Russian or something like that, he thought. "We'll make camp soon," she continued, and as she turned to look behind her, that's when Daryl saw them; a whole group of people. There were old folks, young children, but also a few terrifyingly scary-looking men and women. The two in the front had to be the leaders, but many in the group looked just as strong.

Daryl was frozen in place, but he knew he had to run back and warn the others. This group was approximately as big as their own, if not bigger, and the people in Alexandria were nowhere near ready for a fight. He didn't want anything to happen to Carol, or Rick, or Lil' Ass Kicker… or Aaron. The thought of anything bad happening to any of them made his insides turn, and his heart pound.

The whole group had stopped. They apparently decided to make camp right in front of where Daryl was hiding. A large man with a tattoo covering his entire arms and neck made his way dangerously close to the bush Daryl was sitting behind.

"Yo, Lana," he said in a particularly deep voice, and the leading woman turned to him, "what's the plan for tomorrow?"

She seemed determined, and stood up in front of the group. "Tomorrow, we'll heading east," she said, "and if the rumors are true, we will see town before nightfall." Every single person in the group raised their hands and shook them, it was like seeing a group of deaf people clapping. Daryl figured it was their way of cheering without catching the attention of walkers.

As the Russian lady spoke some more, Daryl saw his cut to make a run for it. His feet carried him across wet leaves and mud, as he maneuvered easily between the trees. He didn't see a single walker on the whole way back, and when he approached the wall, he started panicking. It hadn't dawned on him before that he would be having to face Aaron when he arrived back inside.

Anyhow, he climbed the wall in the place he knew it was possible, and jumped down on the grass inside. The first person he saw was Morgan, and then he knew Rick wouldn't be far away.

Right he was, as Rick appeared from behind a building.

"We gotta prepare," Daryl managed to stutter, despite having ran for an extensive amount of time. "There's another group out there. They'll be here by midday tomorrow."

Rick took a moment to take in the information, before Daryl could see the realization dawn on him; they were weak. "How many?" Rick said hastily.

"At least as many as us, maybe more."

Morgan looked calmer than Rick, but then again, Daryl couldn't remember having seen Morgan freak out. The man was always the beacon of calm and mystery, but now there was a tinge of something in his eyes. Was it fright? It should be, Daryl thought.

"We have to tell the others," Rick exclaimed, heading for Deanna's house. Daryl followed, and as he entered the door the inevitable happened: he bumped into Aaron. Not just figuratively, he actually physically bumped into the other man as he was entering the home. A spark of something shot through Daryl's body, but he brushed it off. He shouldn't think about those kinds of things now.

Deanna was standing right inside the door, and Aaron also went back inside when he saw the looks on the other people's faces. He stood silently in the corner as the others spoke, and Daryl couldn't concentrate when he was watching him.

"What has happened?" Deanna had asked with a worried look on her face. She had lost some of her nerve along with her husband, and Daryl figured she would never be the same again. That was one of the reasons not to let your _feelings_ flow in the middle of a freaking zombie apocalypse, he thought.

"Daryl saw a group heading our way," Rick said, and Daryl took over, "They're many, and look strong. Much stronger than us at least," he said, giving a subtle glance over at Aaron in the corner.

Deanna seemed to get more stern when Daryl spoke. She probably knew it must be serious if Daryl let his guard down and actually spoke more than a few words. After he had shared everything he had witnessed, Deanna opened her mouth. It took a second before she spoke, but when she did, she turned to Rick, "What do you propose we do?"

Rick frowned, "We have to make a decision," he said, "should we stay and fight; and lose a lot of people, or leave and take our chances outside the walls?"


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl was near the entrance of the wall, and so were Rick, Morgan, and Deanna. Aaron had gone back to the houses to get Michonne, and would be back soon, but a decision was still to be made.

"We should make a run for it," Morgan said, "I like our chances on the road much better than our chances here. "

Rick looked at him, everyone knew that Rick valued Morgan's advice. "You have a point," he said, making Deanna frown.

"We can't just leave everything we have built here, and let some savages have it," she was angry now, "this is my husband's legacy, and I refuse to leave without a fight."

"I know," Rick said, "but we're in no condition to fight right now. We have too many old, and the children…" His face was falling back to the way Daryl had seen it when they just arrived at Alexandria; wild and worrisome.

"You're right, we can't let everyone fight," Deanna said, "but that doesn't mean some of us can't." She hesitated, "Daryl and Aaron knows the area well, and can bring the group to a secure spot, while the most able bodied of us can stay behind."

"I ain't leaving," Daryl said, _and most certainly not with Aaron_, he thought at the back of his mind. There was no chance he would run away before a fight, and least of all _that_ fight, against _those_ people.

"Daryl," Rick said. Daryl expecting him to shut Deanna down, "Deanna is right," Wait, what? "We can be prepared and may even stand a chance if we do it this way. But the most important thing is to get the old and the children to safety, and you and Aaron know the area best."

Rick gave him the look that said _"I ask this of you as your friend, and not your leader"_, and he knew it would work. Daryl always did what was best for the whole group, and Rick usually made the right decisions. It was a good plan, even though Daryl didn't like the thought of leaving instead of taking part in the fighting.

"Michonne!" Rick exclaimed, then he spent a few minutes filling her and Aaron in on what was happening. As Rick said Daryl and Aaron would be working together, Aaron sent Daryl a look. It made Daryl uncomfortable, because the look seemed to be out of discomfort from Aaron's side.

The rest of the night was a blur. Daryl ran from house to house gathering sleeping people, and Aaron had been doing the same, bringing them out into the streets. Before long every single person in town were standing sleepily outside Deanna's house, complaining about what was happening. That was when Rick made his way out onto Deanna's porch.

"We are under attack," he said, causing a roar from the crowd that soon settled down, "and we're evacuating everyone, except the ones willing to fight."

People looked terrified, and Daryl could tell that it would be few left fighting, but Rick continued talking. "I understand if you choose to leave, because this is no easy battle we are up against," he said, "but those who want to stay can meet inside Deanna's house, and the rest have to leave with Aaron and Daryl as soon as they're ready."

It all happened so fast, it was no more than twelve hours before that Daryl had been out hunting, and now he was walking slowly the other way through the forest beside Aaron. Everyone in the group were walking in utter silence, they hadn't been outside the walls much during their stay in Alexandria.

After a long lasting silence, Aaron started staring at Daryl. His gaze was burning into Daryl's side view, making it almost impossible to ignore.

"What?" Daryl snapped after a few seconds, and Aaron kept staring.

"Nothing," he said, "I was just wondering where you have been the last two nights…"

Daryl hurried up, and Aaron followed, elongating the distance between them and the rest of the group. When they were far enough away for Daryl to feel comfortable to talk, he slowed down.

"I was huntin'" he said, not planning on elaborating on it, but Aaron wasn't convinced.

There was a pause, before Aaron spoke, "I'm sorry for not being ready," he said, "but Eric-"

Daryl interrupted him, "-Don't." he said, "I said it was a mistake. I'm not…"

Aaron stopped completely. "You're not what?" When Daryl kept walking he followed, "You're not gay?"

Daryl grunted, it amused him that Aaron thought he would say something like that after the kiss they had shared. "That's not what I'm sayin'" he started, "All I'm saying is that I'm not going to start something that I know I can't finish".

Aaron fell silent, and started walking in the back with the rest of the group. Daryl was slightly angry. He wasn't completely sure why; if it was at Aaron for rejecting him, or at himself for walking away.

When they had been walking for a few hours Aaron made his way to the front again. Daryl gave him a dirty look, but Aaron just raised his brows. "People are starting to get tired," he said, "we should stop at that old barn, that's around here somewhere right?"

"We've just barely started walking," Daryl complained, but then he looked back at the crowd and saw how scrawny they were looking, and he sighed. "Fine."

Aaron was right, the barn was right around the corner, and they gathered the whole group inside. Luckily there were no walkers near, when he came to think about it, they hadn't run into any walkers the whole time they had been outside the walls. Strange.

Daryl sat down outside the barn, keeping watch. He didn't want to stay with all the other people, they were too noisy and way too talkative. He didn't want to talk, just wanted to be in his own head and watch the surroundings, but to his dismay Aaron came out the barn door.

"Hey," he said, sitting down next to Daryl, too close for comfort.

They were silent for a few moments, before Aaron spoke again. "I'm sorry."

Daryl felt his stomach turn. It was a stupid situation he had gotten himself into, and now there was no ignoring it. He was angry at Aaron, but at the same time he understood why he had shut him down. Eric had only been gone a short while, and Daryl didn't even want to be with Aaron!

He kept quiet, because he wanted Aaron to forget what had happened altogether. Of course that wasn't the right approach.

"I am sorry for not wanting to," he paused, "you know, my mind was a bit clouded."

Daryl wanted to leave, he did most certainly not want to have any form of conversation about this topic. He continued to gaze into the forest.

"Daryl," Aaron said, "I don't want you to pull away from me." He raised his hand and put it on Daryl's cheek, then he turned the other man's head around to look at him. "I wasn't ready before, but now I have had time to think, and-"

Daryl felt Aarons lips clash with his own. This time it was Aaron who had caught him unprepared. It felt right, but at the same time Daryl didn't want to. He didn't want it to feel so great, and it scared him. His mind was screaming for him to make it stop, but his body wanted it. Wanted Aaron.

Daryl's hands ventured under Aaron's shirt once again, and this time nothing stopped him from pulling it all the way off.


End file.
